James Johnson 272's page

Several faculty abilities, including almost the entire Obliteration faculty, rely on "weapons formed with your gear array." I know swarm strike is already a strong melee option, but it feels odd to have a choice that is directly non-compatible with so much of the rest of the class. Regeneration and discorporation are the only two faculties that don't have at least one ability reliant on wielding a gear array weapon.

On the one hand, I really feel like Swarm Strike should count as a gear-array weapon for the purposes of faculty abilities, if not other knacks, but that might be too strong. It also kind of circumvents Eldritch Nanites giving up major gear forms, so that's worth considering. Maybe giving up one of your limited knack choices is a viable buyback cost? I'm not sure.

Basically, I want to know if "swarm strike != gear array weapon" was an intentional decision/balance choice, or if that's a potential errata. Good to know either way for official play, but will probably at least try it in home games to see if it's unreasonable or not.

I thought I'd give a crack at these, since I was looking for a way to represent Fallen who may not have chosen to focus on their 'darker side' quite as much as those who advance purely in the base class.

Obviously, requires the Thunderscape campaign setting to use effectively, but I don't mind promoting a product I've been (very) happy with. Now, if only they'd release that next class option book...

Anyway, here they are! Feedback is appreciated.

I was looking to make a Maneuver Master who specialized in trips and grapples, and I wanted to make sure I knew how these two interact.

(Ex): At 1st level, as part of a full attack

action, a maneuver master can make one additional combat maneuver, regardless of whether the maneuver normally replaces a melee attack or requires a standard action. The maneuver master uses his monk level in place of his base attack bonus to determine his CMB for the bonus maneuvers, though all combat maneuver checks suffer a –2 penalty when using a flurry. At 8th level, a maneuver master may attempt a second additional combat maneuver, with an additional –3 penalty on combat
maneuver checks. At 15th level, a maneuver master may attempt a third additional combat maneuver, with an additional –7 penalty on combat maneuver checks. This ability replaces flurry of blows.

Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on checks made to grapple a foe. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by Improved Grapple. Once you have grappled a creature, maintaining the grapple is a move action. This feat allows you to make two grapple checks each round (to move, harm, or pin your opponent), but you are not required to

make two checks. You only need to succeed at one of these checks to maintain the grapple. Normal: Maintaining a grapple is a standard action.

Benefit: Whenever you use Greater Grapple to successfully maintain a grapple as a move action, you can then spend a

swift action to make a grapple combat maneuver check.

If I understand correctly, at 9th level, you can make an attack (+6), follow it with a grapple (flurry) (+7), attack again, maintain the grapple (flurry)(+5), and make an extra grapple (rapid grappler)(+5).

That, or Rapid Grapple does not work with Flurry of Maneuvers.

Crud... About two years too early for me. Still living in Florida, or I'd be applying in a heartbeat. Ah, well. Perhaps one day...

The Flash has long been one of my favorite DC superheroes (specifically, Barry Allen), and SGG has, through their Genius Guide to the Talented Monk, given me an opportunity to create an incarnation that could fit into Golarion. Owen K.C. Stevens, you have my thanks!

I figured this is an 'alternate reality' Flash, so I gave him a scimitar and a new name that fits reasonably well. I'm really loving the power progression here, as he continually gains speed as he levels up, gaining more and more ways to use that speed. A lot of the monk talents can also be easily refluffed as 'speed force' abilities, such as empty body being the ability to vibrate through objects.

I can't wait for an opportunity to play this guy- I've got him as a worshiper of Sarenrae who is a member of some security service or police force (I'm thinking Magnimar, for whatever reason) who may or may not have a 'secret identity.'

Now, if only I had a game to play him in... raagh, I hate working 2 jobs!

So, just for clarification, if I choose to use an immediate action (via Snake Style) to roll my Sense Motive against an attack, I can use the Snake Fang to get an AoO on the opponent (assuming I win the roll), but I cannot gain the follow-up attack from Snake Fang, since I already used my immediate action for the round?

I find this a little odd, as it is the only style I see whose third feat is disconnected from the style. Perhaps either the SM check or the secondary attack is not actually meant to be an action? Or the secondary attack is meant to be another AoO, breaking the rules on provoking only once per action?

Of course, it could simply be a different choice of action usage, but I figured it might need an errata or faq to clarify.

Ok, so I was thinking... what if we took the Master of Many Styles archetype and broke it down in to the main class?

Basically, all of the Style Feats are added to (instead of replacing) the normal monk bonus feats. You still need to have the style feat (and the Elemental Fist feat, when appropriate) before taking advanced style feats, but you can ignore all other prerequisites (just like how the archetype works). If an archetype changes the monk's available bonus feats (instead of adding to them), then the style feats would be gone as well.

I also plan to change the Stunning Fist ability to be an option between Stunning Fist, Elemental Fist, Punishing Kick, Perfect Strike, and Touch of Serenity. Any archetypes that modify this ability (that is, the ones that normally change Stunning Fist to one of the others) have that change removed (possibly allowing a few more Archetype Combinations).

Lastly, Fuse Style is now a feat;

Looking for thoughts on whether or not this can be abused in some way I can't see.

The guide's terrain bond ability works directly off of the Favored Terrain class feature. The infiltrator replaces the favored terrain ability, but none of the actual replacement options overlap.

Question 1) is taking these two archetypes together legal?

Question 2) If they are, how does one determine the effect of the terrain bond ability?

I can see a few possibilities for how this could work. Perhaps the ranger chooses his favored terrains at the normal levels, but simply gains no benefit from them outside of his terrain bond ability? This seems redundant, as it would give the ranger his favored terrain back after giving it up for his adaptations. However, he would only get the initial level of the ability, so perhaps that is fair?

It could also simply invalidate the choice. That is, the ranger simply loses out on both his hunter's bond ability and his favored terrain ability in order to make the archetype combo work.

I know you aren't supposed to switch back and forth between core abilities and archetype abilities, but this is a situation where I'd be willing to make an exception and give the ranger his hunter's bond back (as an animal companion, since the other option is based off of the missing Favored Enemy ability) instead of terrain bond.

I'm looking for input from home games on whether you think the options above are balanced, but was also hoping for some kind of official answer for, say, PFS.

Iron Limb Defense (Ex): At 5th level, a monk of the

sacred mountain can def lect blows with an active defense
that complements his bastion stance. If the monk starts
and ends his turn in the same space, he gains a +2 shield
bonus to AC and CMD until the start of his next turn.
As a swift action, he can spend 1 ki point to increase this
bonus to +4. This ability replaces high jump.

Seems straightforward, but...

By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk can ... spend 1 point from his ki pool to give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action. A monk gains additional powers that consume points from his ki pool as he gains levels.

So, my question is, why would anyone ever spend a point to gain a net +2 bonus to defense, when they already have a +4 stackable bonus to defense that they got last level?

Both are swift actions, which you only get once per round, and cost the same number of ki points. Nothing replaced the basic ki abilities of the monk AFAIK... so we have a redundant ability.

If this was a mistake, what might possible erratas be? It seems to me that whoever wrote this section may have forgotten about that particular ability.

...What are some of the overpowered gestalt class combos you can come up with?

Rules; Limit it to Pathfinders core and APG, if you can, and 2 classes at a time. Specifically looking for some combination of class features that play better off one another than intended, as opposed to 'OMG MOAR SPELLS.'

First up; A Monk of the Open Hand gestalted with a Rogue, specializing in disarms, and given the Catch Off-Guard feat.

I was reading Treantmonk's guide to Monks, and I wondered;

If using Flurry of Blows with shuriken, would the Rapid Shot feat get you an extra attack? And what BAB is Rapid Shot's extra attack at anyways? I assume full, but want to be sure.

This would total out to 3 attacks at the higest BAB before iteratives, on any full attack, but all of them at a -4. Not sure it'd be worth it anyways, considering how low-damage shuriken are (though enchantments are fun).

I know Oriental Adventures won't be out for some time, but I thought it'd be fun to homebrew some stuff that could be used in the Pathfinders campaign. I decided the 'ninja' concept would probably be better as a prestige class, since there are so many different approaches to the idea (sneaky illusionist, weapons specialist, et cetera). This particular prestige class comes from a clan of ninja dedicated to destroying fiends (evil outsiders), and I wanted to know what you guys think.

Suiyomi Ninja

HD: d8
B.A.: 3/4
3 good saves

Requirements
Skills: Acrobatics 5 ranks, Stealth 5 ranks.
Special: Must defeat an evil outsider whose hit dice are equal to or greater than the character's CL in the presence of a clan member.

Special
1 Monk Abilities, Sneak Attack +1d6
2 Hide in Plain Sight, Darkvision, Secret Technique (Fiendstriker)
3 Sneak Attack +2d6
4 Bonus Feat, Secret Technique (Fiendhunter)
5 Sneak Attack +3d6, Defensive Roll
6 Secret Technique (Fiendcrusher)
7 Sneak Attack +4d6
8 Bonus Feat, Secret Technique (Fiendstalker)
9 Sneak Attack +5d6
10 Succession Technique (Fiendslayer)

Class Skills (4+int modifier)
Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Escape Artist, intimidate, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival, Swim, Use Magic Device

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
The Suiyomi Ninja is proficient with the dagger, sickle, quarterstaff, sling, kukri, starknife, short sword, long sword, bastard sword, greatsword, scythe, kama, nunchaku, sai, siangham, two-bladed sword, shuriken, composite/long bows, and composite/short bows.
Suiyomi Ninja do not gain any proficiency with armor or shields.

Class Features

Monk Abilities: A Suiyomi Ninja's class levels stack with any monk levels he may have to determine unarmed damage, AC bonus, and movement speed, as well as the effectiveness of his Flurry of Blows ability. These levels also count as monk levels for use of the Stunning fist feat, though they do not grant the feat to someone who does not already have it.

Sneak Attack: This is exactly like the Rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 every other level (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th). If a Suiyomi Ninja gets sneak attack damage from another source, the bonuses on damage stack.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su): At 2nd level, a Suiyomi Ninja can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a Suiyomi Ninja can hide himself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow.

Darkvision (Su): At 2nd level, a Suiyomi gains darkvision out to 60 feet. If he already had darkvision from another source (such as the dwarven racial ability), then extend the range of the darkvision by 60 feet.

Secret Technique (Fiendstriker) (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a Suiyomi Ninja adds his class level to any damage rolls against evil outsiders.

Bonus Feat: At 4th level, and again at 8th level, a Suiyomi Ninja may select a bonus feat from the following list; Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Scorpion Style, Gorgon’s Fist, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Trip, Mobility, Improved Critical, Medusa’s Wrath, Snatch Arrows, Spring Attack, Greater Bull Rush, Greater Disarm, Greater Feint, Greater Trip. All prerequisites must be met in order to take the feat.

Secret Technique (Fiendhunter) (Ex): Starting at 4th level, a Suiyomi Ninja adds his class level to all Survival, Stealth, and Sense Motive checks made against evil outsiders.

Defense Roll (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a Suiyomi Ninja can attempt to avoid a lethal blow. This functions as the rogue’s Advanced Talent of the same name.

Secret Technique (Fiendcrusher) (Sp): Starting at 6th level, a Suiyomi Ninja can make a single attack at his highest base attack bonus against an evil outsider as a standard action. If the attack is successful, the victim is subject to a targeted Greater Dispel Magic effect (Caster level is equal to Ninja Class Level). In addition, all of the target’s supernatural and spell-like abilities are suppressed for a number of rounds equal to 1d4 plus your Charisma modifier. Durations do not stack, nor do they overlap. When Fiendcrusher is used on the same enemy again, regardless of whether or not the attack is successful, any previous Fiendcrusher effects are dispelled.

Secret Technique (Fiendstalker) (Ex): Starting at 8th level, a Suiyomi Ninja adds his class level to all skill checks made against evil outsiders (this replaces the Fiendhunter effect, but stacks with bonuses from any other source, such as a Ranger’s favored enemy bonus). Also, he receives a +2 bonus on any CMB or CMD checks opposing an Evil Outsider.

Succession Technique (Fiendslayer) (Su): Upon reaching 10th level, a Suiyomi Ninja has become a master of destroying his hated enemies; the fiends. If a ninja studies his target (must be an evil outsider) for three consecutive rounds and makes a successful sneak attack against his foe, the victim must succeed on a will save (DC 12+Ninja lvl+Cha Modifier) or be obliterated. Foes destroyed in this manner are not sent back to their home plane, but actually erased from existence. If the target makes its save, the attack does sneak attack damage as normal. If a Fiendslayer attack fails (the subject makes its save), or the ninja does not launch the attack within three rounds of completing the study, 3 more rounds of consecutive study are required before he can make another Fiendslayer attack.

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I balanced it as best I could against the Assassin prestige class from the core rulebook. I'd really like to know if you guys think it's over/under powered, and if you have any suggestions for either flavor or mechanical improvement.

If you guys like this one, or are willing to help out, I'll post some more of these as I make them.

Having read through the feats for Vital/Improved Vital Strike, as well as Scorpion Style/Gorgon Fist, I'm not sure if it's possible, but...

Can you perform a Vital Strike and a Scorpion Strike on the same single attack?

Can you perform A Vital Strike with the Gorgon Fist effect as well?

What about Stunning Fist?

All of them are single attacks, and all of them except Stunning Fist must be used as a single attack action that round. I'm hoping they can be combined, since that'll give Monks a good way to open a fight (charge+scorpion+vital, followed by gorgon+vital, followed by Medusa's Wrath+Flurry of Blows+Ki Flurry). If not, then I may need to rethink my monk build...